1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to surgical instruments for use during laparoscopic surgery. More particularly, the invention is directed to a grasping and clamping surgical tool for use inside the abdominal cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical laparoscopic surgical procedure begins with the puncture of the patient's abdominal wall and the placement of an access port. Next, gas is admitted to the abdominal cavity partially inflating it, forming a pneumoperitoneum. Next a laparoscope or endoscope is inserted through the access port to permit viewing of the organs during the surgical procedure. Typically, the laparoscope has both an eyepiece for direct use by the physician and a video monitor to permit visualization of the surgical field. Additional access ports may be located elsewhere on the patient's abdominal wall to permit insertion of surgical instruments. Access ports come in a variety of diameters and 5, 7 and 11 millimeter ports are widely used for surgery within the peritoneal cavity. Instruments for insertion through such ports are readily available to practitioners and numerous surgical grasping instruments are available to surgeons specializing in these procedures. See for example:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,034,785 which teaches the use of a hinged jaw set which closes with a remote handle structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,677 also teaches the use of a jaw set. In this reference a spring is used to bias the jaw set into an open position. When the jaw set is retracted into the tube, the teeth close.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,239 teaches a jaw set having a single tooth on each jaw. This jaw set concentrates the closing force imparted by the jaws onto a point.